A growing interest in biodiesel as a substitute for petroleum diesel has led researchers to explore the use of various renewable sources as a feedstock for biodiesel production. Of particular interest is the option of using fats, oils, and grease (FOG) present in wastewater as a feedstock alternative to virgin oil, waste vegetable oil, and other possible sources. In view of recent advances in economically converting FOG into biodiesel and the continuous supply of wastewater produced in modern society, the potential use of FOG extracted from wastewater for biodiesel production is highly desirable. However, past efforts in purifying FOG from wastewater have revealed significant problems in efficiently and effectively removing water and solid contaminants to produce FOG that is suitable for conversion into biodiesel. Additionally, the equipment and processing costs associated with FOG recovery from wastewater generally has been viewed as barrier to economically purifying FOG at wastewater treatment plants.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved systems and methods for efficiently and effectively purifying FOG from wastewater at wastewater treatment plants to provide FOG that is suitable for biodiesel production.